IN EVERY BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THERE ARE
A HANDFUL OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE
ESSENTIALLY BECOME “HOUSEHOLD NAMES.”
HERE’S HOW THEY DID IT.

see Blanca as process-oriented with a
methodical approach and clients are
drawn to her for her passion, energy and
reputation for exceeding expectations.
When you work with Blanca—whose client
list includes New Boston Fund, Rilea
Group and Amadeus North America—you
have no doubt she cares about your business goals and works to achieve them.

In every business community, there are a
handful of individuals who have essentially
become “household names.” Be it through
career success, unique reputations, savvy
marketing, or a combination of factors,
these professionals possess a certain je ne
sais quoi that makes others aspire to work
with and emulate them. In the pages
ahead, you’ll learn how they got there and
the advice they have for others looking to
literally build their brand names.

THE POWER OF PERSONALBRANDING

A brand is a promise. It communicatesthe essence of who your company is, whatit stands for, and what customers canexpect from it—and we all have one.Indeed, 92 percent of children under theage of two already have a digital foot-print, according to an AVG study. Yet aGlenn Llopis Group survey reveals lessthan 15% of people have truly definedtheir personal brand and less than 5% areconsistently walking it out work.

“Personal branding is a way of differen-tiating your value proposition from othercompetitors in the market. Ideally, yourpersonal brand would stand out from oth-ers in the industry and separate you bywhat makes you most unique,” says KrisRuby, a personal branding expert andCEO of Ruby Media Group. “Building apersonal brand of a commercial real estateexec does not come out of thin air.”That’s one definition. If you ask 10 dif-ferent people what personal branding is,you’ll probably get 10 different takes.Despite its simplicity, many people misun-derstand what personal branding is—andwhat’s it’s not. Others don’t give personalbranding the attention it deserves.Neither scenario sets the stage for a mem-orable, inspiring brand.

“Personal branding is establishing aspecific image or impression in the mindof others about you,” says MarleneWaldock, president of 1st Impressions andcreator of Brand YOU. “Like any otherbrand you want to occupy the first rung onthe ladder in the minds of your audience.You want to be the first person they thinkof when seeking help.”Amid the many definitions of personalbranding, there is one common threadupon which marketers from all walks offrom thought leaders in marketing andbranding, I gained valuable insights whichenabled me to understand and fullyembrace that building my brand would becritical to my success.”During the height of the GreatRecession, a daring Blanca left Cushman& Wakefield to fly solo, and has seen con-sistent growth ever since. With a strongteam to support her, she’s known amongher peers as one who shares insightful